The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has accused Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State of double registration in violation of the law.
National Commissioner in charge of Voter Education, Solomon Soyebi, said this in a statement on Thursday.
He noted that Bello registered as a voter for the second time at the Government House, Lokoja, on Tuesday, May 23, 2017.
INEC ongoing voter registration commenced on April 27, 2017.
Soyebi said that the governor had earlier carried out his first registration as a voter on January 30, 2011, at Wuse Zone 4, Abuja.
The official stated that the governor not only registered twice, but did the latest registration ”in an undesignated area” which was a ”violation of the law”.
He disclosed that the commission had to take a decision to void the second registration and could not commence legal action against him because of the immunity clause for governors in the constitution.
The statement reads in part: “It has come to the attention of the Independent National Electoral Commission that Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State, registered as a voter for the second time on Tuesday, May 23, 2017 at the Government House, Lokoja, the state capital. His first registration was on January 30, 2011, in Wuse Zone 4, Abuja.
“The governor’s double registration and doing so outside a designated centre of lNEC are both illegal.
“For the ongoing Continuous Voter Registration, INEC has designated a centre in each of the country’s 774 Local Government Areas, including FCT’s six area councils.”
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